Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution
( OBE MP): Today, I am
updating Parliament on the Government's plans to review
governance arrangements for local authorities in England. Our
goal is to ensure that local communities have the right
mechanisms to engage effectively with their councils.
In the English Devolution White Paper, the Government committed
to establishing consistent and accountable structures across
local government. We are considering which governance models
available to local authorities will best support their
decision-making processes and will provide more detail on this
shortly.
The English Devolution White Paper also committed to creating new
opportunities for communities to have a say in the future of
their area and to play a part in improving it. To support this,
we will review how local authorities can integrate community
engagement into their core functions. We are keen to work with
the sector to co-design an approach which balances the need for
consistent structures which allows local flexibility.
This programme of reform will create fewer but more empowered
councils, frontline councillors and partners working hand in
glove with communities they serve and support preventative and
early intervention approaches which are critical to the
sustainability of local government, and in driving better
outcomes in the neighbourhoods where local people are invested.
Local people will know exactly where to take local problems and
solutions and can work with their frontline councillors to drive
visible improvements in the places they are invested in.
When these reforms are implemented, alongside devolution to new
regional mayors and strategic authorities, and local government
reorganisation, it will ensure that the right powers are in the
right places. Locally, it will mean that people across England,
regardless of where they live, will be able to take issues or
concerns to empowered frontline local councillors. These
councillors will have a clear and accountable route to act on
them, either through neighbourhood structures or by taking them
to the Cabinet member responsible for the issue.
Every place will benefit from our agenda to decentralise power
from Whitehall to local leaders. People will see the impact in
more regular bus services, more affordable housing, and the
presence of local champions with regional influence or frontline
councillors championing their neighbourhoods.
